Baby on board
by 2Crazyfangirls
Summary: Earth? Why are the Doctor and Rose back on earth again? The New hypnotist has the town clearing the streets. What happens to the Doctor? Why is Rose now all alone in saving the world? Who wants the Doctor dead this time?
1. chapter 1 Dead town

**Baby On Board**

**Disclaimer**: If I owned the Doctor, I never would have let David Tennant leave! I'd have trapped him under my bed and forced him to stay on the show until he was an old man!

The Doctor: ...

Me: You know you really didn't want to leave. You KNOW!!

The Doctor: ... Thank the Shadow Proclamation that I **DON'T** belong to you. You're crazy!

Me: Yeah... Took you THAT long to realise?

**A/N**: I've written another story! This one will be multi-chaptered and is for Doctor Who. Please enjoy and – no flames. This site is called _FanFiction_ for a reason. Thanks.

***Note**: This is Legolas Fanatic, and I edited this work for 2Crazyfangirls. All mistakes in the following chapter are _**MY**_ fault, as I didn't pick up on them. =.= 2Crazyfangirls went through the trouble of getting this edited... she isn't responsible for my bad eyesight (if there are any mistakes).

The Doctor rubbed his hands together and looked across at his companion, Rose Tyler, with an excited expression lighting his face. "Right then. Where to?" He asked excitedly.

Rose adopted a thoughtful expression. She shrugged after a few moments of silent thoughtfulness. "Anywhere."

The Doctor's grin widened. "All right! Anywhere, it is!" He jogged around the console, his energy fizzing and bubbling over. "Across galaxies, time and space, to the furthest reaches of the world known to mankind. But, not alien-kind." He pressed a button on the console of the TARDIS with a flourish. "And, off we go! Allons-y!"

The TARDIS whirred and gave a slight shudder as it hurtled through time and space. Off it went, to some unknown destination that could bring any sort of adventure for Rose and the Doctor.

**XXXXXXX**

The door to the TARDIS creaked open and Rose poked her head out, curiously, to have a look at the planet that they had landed on. She had really expected to see aliens, strange buildings – pretty much, just to see a whole other planet.

"Earth," she grumbled. "Why did you bring me to Earth?"

The Doctor pocked his head out beside her, his gaze sweeping the immediate area around them to see if there was any danger. However, there was nothing. Absolutely nothing at all. Not a single child, man or woman was around. It was like some sort of ghost town. This caused the Doctor to frown. Why weren't there any humans in the area? "That's odd," he mumbled. "Better go and have a look."

Rose smiled. "Off to solve another mystery?"

The Doctor winked at her. "Oh, yes!" He pulled the TARDIS door closed behind him and locked the door. He then dropped the key into the pocket of his ever-present long, brown trench coat. He grabbed Rose's hand and took off down the road at a swift jog.

Rose looked around as they ran down the deserted street. "I wonder where all the people are?" She mused out loud.

The Doctor didn't answer, because, he had no answer... which was odd, because… he always had an answer. No matter how much he wracked his brain for something, there was just... nothing.

As the pair ran down the street, the Doctor's trench coat swished around his ankles. Their rapid footsteps seemed to be as loud as drums in the dismal silence of this seemingly empty corner of the world.

The Doctor slowed to a sudden halt. There was a light coming from a pub, able to be seen from an upstairs room. The floorboards creaked in protest as someone walked across them. He frowned. "Someone is up there."

Rose sighed. "Thanks for pointing out the obvious." She paused briefly. "Maybe they know where the people went?"

The Doctor's grin slithered back onto his face. "Oh, that is brilliant! You amaze me, Rose Tyler, you really do."

A few minutes later, they were standing outside the door to the upstairs room of the old, rundown pub. The light of the room streamed out from under the crack of the door. A shadow of a person shifted across the light, pacing back and forth across the room. The floorboards creaked loudly with each step.

The Doctor reached up and rapped sharply on the wood of the door.

The pacing stopped abruptly. The only sound that the Doctor could now hear was the sound of breathing, which seemed piercingly loud in the sudden silence.

"W-who's there?" Came a small, shaky voice from within the room. "What do you want?"

"I'm the Doctor and, with me, is Rose Tyler," stated the Doctor in a friendly voice.

"Hello," said Rose, voice unsure.

The Doctor continued. "We just need your help. Where are all the people? Why are you here alone?"

From within the room came the sound of sobbing. "Gone... all gone!" The women moaned. "Gone, gone, gone!"

The Doctor was puzzled. "Gone _where_? What do you mean?"

Beside him, Rose looked just as confused as the Doctor felt. This didn't make any sense.

"Can we come in?" He asked in a gentle voice.

He waited, but no answer came; so, he simply grabbed the door handle, turned it and pushed the door open. He then stepped into the room. There was no one in there.

The sound of a cassette rewinding caught their attention.

Rose strode over to the bed and picked up the shiny, black object that was the source of the sound.

The Doctor was baffled, now. It was as if… someone knew that they would be coming here. But, how was that possible?

"Doctor." Rose's voice shook slightly as she talked. "What does this mean?"

The Doctor simply shook his head. This was beyond him at the moment. How could someone know that they would be here? They either had to be an Agent of Time, or a Timelord. The second option was impossible; he was the last of his kind.

Rose set the cassette player aside. "I don't understand."

The Doctor heaved a massive sigh. "Neither do I." He pulled out his glasses and perched them on his nose, before stalking over and picking up the cassette player. Maybe it held the answer that was so stubbornly trying to avoid him? He turned the sleek, black object over in his hands several times. It seemed like a perfectly normal cassette player; there was nothing different about it in the slightest. "Odd. Very odd," he murmured softly.

He pulled his sonic screwdriver from an inner pocket of his coat and set the calibrations to the correct level. He pointed it at the black item in his hand and pressed the button on the side of his device. It buzzed softly as he scanned the confusing object that was the object of his scrutiny.

"Completely normal," he concluded, after a few minutes. "No sort of communication device within it, nothing alien that could interfere with how it works." He was, now, just more confused than before.

Rose was just as lost as the Doctor. "Well, what do we do, now?"

The ghost of a smile crept onto the Doctor's face. "We go and investigate!"

Rose nodded, eager to actually be doing something. Her smile evaporated seconds later, however. "But, what about the shadow and the person pacing across the room?"

The Doctor grinned. "That is quite a simple thing to explain." He leapt over to a cupboard and yanked the door open. Inside, was what looked like a miniature sound board. It had another cassette. The Doctor was admiring the set-up with much enthusiasm. "Oh, this is brilliant!" He exclaimed. "Molto Bene!"

Rose shook her head, but a smile was plastered firmly on her face. "Alright, you figured out one mystery, Sherlock, now what about the shadow?"

The Doctor made his way to the other side of the room and, what Rose had first taken to be drapes across the window, was actually a scarecrow in a cloak. It was designed to hide it, unless one was to look closely upon it.

The Doctor pointed out the automatic pulley system across the roof that was well hidden in the beams and the timer that was connected to the leg of a bed, out of sight. "Brilliant!" He exclaimed. "They timed it down to the exact second! That is so very, very brilliant. So smart!" He was close to bursting with excitement. "But, the question is: why?"

Rose was frowning. "I dunno."

The Doctor stood erect and paced the room rapidly. "Well, of course you don't, because whoever set this up did it very well – very well, indeed. Was it really even meant for us? Was it just a simple coincidence?" He was off on another one of his many rants, again. "Is someone waiting for us? Do they have a message, a death threat, want to kill me on the spot, or –"

Rose coughed loudly to get his attention. "Maybe we should go and have a look?"

The Doctor grinned. "I love a practical approach to stuff."

Rose sighed. "And I'm sure that you really want to tell me how you figured this entire mystery out."

The Doctor was almost jumping from foot to foot with excitement. "It's elementary, dear Watson, elementary."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Oh, that's real funny."

The Doctor laughed merrily. "I've always wanted to say that."

Rose gave a shake of her head, before joining in with his laughter.

**XXXXXX**

It was a few minutes later, until they exited the pub and continued down the street.

The Doctor stuffed his hands into his pockets and adopted an expression of deep thought. He was pondering their situation and what all of this could mean. People missing and a mysterious recording in a room? Was this a simple coincidence, or something so much greater?

They walked further and further into the town and not a single person could be seen anywhere at all. It was very strange – not to mention, unnerving.

They soon came to an old, rundown, dilapidated house that seemed more like a shack.

The Doctor shrugged. "No better place to start our investigation."

Rose looked like she far less than agreed with this statement, but held her tongue. The Doctor knew what he was doing.

So, they entered the dimly lit, and dusty, house.

Rose sneezed loudly – because of the dust – and the Doctor shushed her. She grumbled an apology, but continued through the decrepit building.

They both kept up their investigation through the silent and dusty halls of the house at a painfully slow walk.

Some power seemed to disturb the air and make the Doctor's spiky hair even spikier. It felt strong and it was definitely not a human-like force. "Can you feel that?" He breathed.

Rose nodded, a little stiffly. "Yeah. It feels… weird. Sort of… alien."

The Doctor nodded in agreement. "My thoughts, exactly."

They continued down the hall until they came to a back room, where there was a very faint light.

A woman sat at a table. She smiled pleasantly. "Ah, I have been expecting you Doctor... and you, Rose Tyler."

If the Doctor was surprised, he hid it.

The woman gestured at the chairs, across from her table.

Both Rose and the Doctor took a seat, just as curious as each other to hear what this woman had to say to them.

She looked at each of them in turn, holding their gaze for a few moments. "Do you know why you are here?" She asked them

They both shook their heads.

"Do you?" Rose blurted out.

The Doctor silenced her with a look, then returned his gaze to the woman.

She was smiling. "Yes, I know why you are here."

The Doctor leaned forward, an expression of intense interest on his face. "Will you tell us?"

But, before the Doctor had even finished his question, the mysterious woman was already shaking her head. "I am sorry, Timelord, I cannot tell. But, I will tell you one thing... You are in danger."

The Doctor seemed to half-smile. "Nothing new, there."

The woman gave him a sad look. "Mortal danger. You will both be tested in brutal ways. An old enemy shall awaken from a long slumber, so far away. You cannot run from it. You cannot hide."

The Doctor paled significantly. Could it be who he was thinking of? An old enemy that he had thought defeated?

Genuine, blind fear was etched into every line of his face. He stood abruptly and took off, out of the room. His feet carried him rapidly over the ground. He was scared, to be honest. Was this it? Was the prophecy starting?

**XXXXXXX**

It took some time, but Rose finally managed to catch up with the Doctor. He was back in the pub. She slumped down onto the other seat at the table he was sitting at. "Don't worry. We'll sort it, we always do."

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah," he agreed, not really committed to his answer.

He always knew what was happening and, when he didn't know – on the rare occasions that it happened – it would drive him barmy.

There was the sound of music, coming from down the street. In amongst the beat, cheering could be heard. "I think I know where the people are," he murmured.

Rose grinned. "Well, let's go and have a look, Sherlock."

The Doctor's grin returned. "Absolutely, Watson." He tipped an invisible hat. Standing, he grabbed Rose's hand and took off, out of the bar and down the street, towards the source of the mysterious noise.

**A/N**: Thanks for reading! Hope you all enjoyed – please review!


	2. Chapter 2 The cradle will rock

**Me: Can I have the Doctor? PLEEEEEASE!?**

**Russell T. Davies: …**

**Me: Oh, come on! Do you REALLY need him, anymore?**

**Russell T. Davies: … He IS the star of the show, Madam. **

**Me: Shucks. WELL, I guess that clears that up. -.-**

***Note: Hello again. This is Legolas Fanatic – any punctuation/spelling/grammatical errors are my responsibility. Send ME the flame… not Crazy. Capiche? **

**Chapter 2**

**XXXXXXX**

The Doctor and Rose eventually came to a stop outside a large building, the music emanating from within. The muffled beat could be heard through the door.

The Doctor observed it with excitement. "Maybe it's a party? … I love parties!"

Rose rolled her eyes. Would his enthusiasm _ever_ fizzle out?

From what they could hear, it sounded like someone was making a speech of some kind. The thick walls slightly muffled the words, so that the Doctor and Rose couldn't understand anything that was being said.

"We're not going to discover anything from out here," the Doctor decided with a small grin, striding forward and tossing the door open with a thrust of his arm.

Entering into the building, they found it to be a bit dark. They waited for a moment in the doorway, holding their breaths and allowing the silence to stretch while their eyes adjusted to the lack of light. Further down the hall, and off to the left, some flickering lights could be seen. The Doctor gestured to the anomaly. "Let's go."

They headed down the hall and into the large room, Rose stepping in after the Doctor and turning her gaze around the area.

Inside the room, they found that it was so much brighter than in the entrance hall. Strobe lights flashed wildly, dotting the walls with colour. Spotlights were also focused around the room, causing the pair to wince and squint while they, yet again, awaited visual adjustment.

Blinking several times, they were eventually able to focus on the details of the room. It was wide, the normally spacious ground taken up with rows of chairs and a few tables against the walls. All seats faced a stage, running parallel with the back wall and gaining instant attention from anyone who entered.

There was a crowd. Nearly every seat was occupied, every person focusing their attention on the stage. Judging from the amount of people all over the place – a few even standing – he guessed where the inhabitants of the city had gone.

A man was on the stage, a microphone in hand. The spotlight followed him as he paced back and forth, his passion boiling over. "My job is my joy. It is my life. Now, I can help bring a bit of my life into _yours_!"

The Doctor grinned and bopped his head to the beat of the music which was flowing from some nearby speakers.

"Some party!" He stated enthusiastically.

Rose sighed. "I'd say it's some sort of seminar, actually."

The Doctor lifted his left hand and idly scratched his ear. "Ah, right. I knew that."

Rose let loose a laugh. "I wonder what it's for."

The Doctor shrugged. "Only one way to find out." He grabbed Rose's hand and began to weave through the many people in the crowd, drawing up to the front of the stage.

They had to squish through the people packed at the foot of the stage. It was like being packed into a massive lump of moving, talking flesh. Apparently, the delegated seats were too far from the stage for a few, certain… fanatics.

Rose could feel her hand begin to slip out of the Doctor's as the mass of people began to push them apart. "Doctor!"

He turned his head to look back and, as he did so, Rose's hand slipped out of his and they were pushed in opposite directions. In a short length of time, they were swallowed by the crowd – each out of the other's sight.

"Rose!" Called the Doctor, afraid of losing her. If they got separated, anything could happen.

He knew he would need to find her before he continued with his investigation. He wasn't about to risk leaving her to her own devices and getting into some sort of trouble. However, despite his height, he would not be able to glimpse her from his less than advantageous spot on the floor. He needed to get above the crowd.

Twisting his neck, he spotted his vantage point. With a few quick strides, he clambered up and onto the stage, casting his gaze around the area. His eyes roamed every face in the crowd, searching for the blonde girl he was after.

Stifling a gasp, the Doctor felt a strong hand grab him from behind.

"We have a volunteer!"

He felt confusion wash over him at the words.

Volunteer?

A man, sporting a toothy grin, spun the Doctor around to face him. He wore a plum-coloured suit which stood out from his tall top hat, of a startling white colour, and clashed horribly with the dark attire.

The Doctor blinked at him. "Um… Hello?"

The man's grin was so wide, that it looked like it hurt.

Clearing his throat, the Doctor continued. "Uh, I really just want to find my friend."

"There will be time for that, later," beamed the man enthusiastically. His grin did not falter as he clasped his hands together, rubbing them in raw excitement.

With a pang of familiarity, the Doctor wondered whether this was how _he_ acted. Surely not. He was enthusiastic, of course, but definitely not as hyperactive as this smiling man in front of him.

Apart from the Doctor's current predicament, Rose was being squished and bumped about; she stumbled around wildly, trying to keep her balance. A tall man knocked into her and she almost lost her footing. "Hey, watch it, mate!" She snapped grumpily.

The man muttered an apology and moved away from Rose.

Scowling, the blonde looked back up at the stage and her eyes bugged. It was the Doctor. What was he doing up there?

The Doctor was definitely in a bit of a pickle. "When you say 'volunteer,' what exactly am I volunteering _for_?"

The man in the dark suit laughed loudly. "My good man!" He said boisterously. "Have you ever been hypnotized before?"

The Doctor frowned. "No, I haven't, but–"

He was cut off before he could finish what he had been trying to say. "Good!" Yelled the man enthusiastically, clapping his hands again in what was quickly becoming an irritating manner.

He pushed the protesting Doctor down into a chair. It was none too gently, making the Timelord wrinkle his nose uncomfortably.

"Now, tell us your name," the loud man boomed into the microphone. He thrust the instrument up to the Doctor's face.

The Doctor gave a friendly grin, even attempting a small wave for the crowd's sake. "Hello. I'm the Doctor."

There was some scattered laughing in the crowd.

Out of the corner of his eye, the Doctor could see the man narrow his eyes slightly. The action was almost triumphant, in nature.

He boomed out a laugh and spoke again into the microphone. "But, that is simply a title! What is your _name_?"

Once again, the Doctor found the microphone almost merged with his face. "… John Smith."

The enthusiastic host nodded in satisfaction. "Well, Mr. Smith. We can now begin!"

He swept his arms out in an animated gesture of mystery and magic, looking much like the cheap magicians who appeared on children's magic kits. The site was slightly comical.

The crowd hushed instantly at the statement. It seemed, even, that people had ceased _breathing_.

Every pair of eyes in the room was fixed on the man and the Doctor. It was like an irresistible pull of some description.

Rose couldn't keep her eyes off the two men on the stage, either. A part of her knew she should stop this… that something was amiss… but, she was captivated.

Not a word more came from the man's lips. His eyes were fixed on the Doctor, who in turn, had his gaze on the man.

The hypnotist snapped his fingers. A few seconds passed by at an aggravatingly slow pace. Then, without the slightest warning, the Doctor straightened from the chair agilely and shocked the crowd into an even deeper silence with a completely unpredictable display.

He, first of all, began by picking up the chair he had been seated on and hurling it at the man. "I hate you!" He yelled, an icy tone to his voice.

Seconds later, it changed. He was prancing around the stage like a child, legs looking too long for his body by the way he was flicking them out. "Fist day of school!" He sung happily. "I'm gonna be sooooo smart!"

After a few moments, his actions changed again. He was stumbling across the stage like he was drunk. No, wait. A drunken person wouldn't usually coo like a toddler…

Finally, he was rolling on the ground, screeching like a baby would. The whole crowd was left amazed as a fully grown man began rocking on his back, releasing noises that were uncanny to that of an infant.

Rose finally understood what she had just witnessed. The Doctor had been forced to regress through stages of a human life. To act like a child, again. How humiliating.

The man had watched all of this calmly, while the crowd began to roar with laughter at the Doctor's actions.

After another snap of the fingers, the Doctor went silent. He lay on the ground, flat on his back and attempting to figure out exactly what had just happened to him. What had he been forced to do? Whatever it was, it had made his throat sore, as if he had just been screaming like a child might. Little did he know just how right that assumption was.

He finally managed to stumble to his feet, but was almost knocked off them when the host of the show gave him a hearty slap on the back. "Jolly good!" He beamed. "Very well done, indeed!"

The Doctor decided that now was the right time to bow out. This experience was not comfortable and left him feeling… unnerved. He located Rose in the audience, hurled himself from the stage, grabbed the girl's hand and then took off out the room.

Once outside the building, the Doctor allowed them to slow to a walk. "Never again," he mumbled.

Rose cast one last look at the building, just as grateful to be out of there. "That man was rather creepy."

The Doctor nodded his agreement, brow furrowed. "Not just him. The whole set-up."

**XXXXXXX**

They headed back to the TARDIS, both as thankful as each other to see the Police box again. The Doctor unlocked the door and swung it open, allowing Rose to enter first.

He tried to push the rather strange experience from his mind. It was of no importance to them. It had just been a weird day… nothing more than that.

"So, where are we off to?" Rose asked, breaking through his thoughts. "Back to see Mum?"

The Doctor grimaced, as though he was in pain. "Uh… soon."

Rose nodded, her expression turning knowing. "I'll hold you to that."

He gave a sigh and made his way swiftly around the console of the TARDIS, pulling levers and pressing buttons. He was preparing the spacecraft to leave, acting as perfectly normal as possible.

Rose released a large yawn and the Doctor grinned. "Maybe we should just find somewhere to park the TARDIS for the night and we'll decide where to go tomorrow?"

Rose nodded her agreement. "Now, that sounds like a good plan." Her words were followed by yet another yawn.

"I know," said the Doctor cheerily. "Because it's _my_ plan."

Rose gave him a slight shove, but couldn't help the grin that spread across her face.

The Doctor pressed a button on the console of the TARDIS with a flourish and the engine whirred as it began to fade from sight.

**XXXXXXX**

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it as much as the last… Please make sure to review!**


End file.
